I asked my friend Aaryn Herridge about her New Year’s Resolution and she informed me that she plans to go on an “abstinence binge.” Brilliant.
For those of us who never quite got a grasp of the everything in moderation concept, an abstinence binge is how we health kick.
At this time last year I was just launching Slow Incline Health Kick 09. It was a mellow, unambitious project with one wonderful high point in about October…. then a terrible, tragic crash landing.
Well, it’s that time of year again. And not because of the whole New Year’s resolution thing. Truth be told, if I was going to announce a resolution this year it would be something like “I resolve to accept myself exactly as I am and not try to change a damned thing.” Because in my heart of hearts I think New Year’s resolutions really only work if you are already inclined to do them.
(One year, my New Year’s resolution was to not read any educational or self-help books. I only read novels for an entire year…. very easy to stick to that one, and I succeeded! And read a lot of great books, might I add.)
New Year’s resolutions aside, I am thinking of joining Aaryn on her Abstinence Binge. It’s been a rough couple of months, and I’ve been spoiling myself with indulgent, lazy, unhealthy behavior. I’ve been trying to “go easy on myself.”
Well, I know how to go there. I can go so easy on myself that I stop going to yoga, drink wine every day, eat cookies for lunch, and never wash my face. I’m actually pretty awesome at going easy on myself.
But that’s not really self-love, is it? When a 2-year old throws a tantrum, do you indulge it, or do you put the 2-year old in time out and let it calm down? My ego is a tantrum-throwing 2-year old these days, and it needs a time out.
For those of us with extreme personalities, just having “one glass of wine” or “one cookie” is waaaaaay harder than not having any wine, or any cookies, or any cigarettes, or any ice cream, or any coffee, or anything bad whatsoever. We’re bingers. When we do something, we do it all the way. That’s why—in the yoga world—you see so many people who used to be drug addicts or alcoholics or extremist of one sort or another suddenly binging on yoga, all the time, like it’s a drug.
So to get 2010 started off right, I suppose it’s time for a good strict housecleaning… starting on January 12th. Because first, I’m going to Hawaii with Tom and Francesca! And there will be no rules in Hawaii!
